My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 15 Fellow Countryman
"So this is ah."

Qin Rong nodded knowingly, then asked, "What else did you plant?"

Chen Ling parked the donkey cart to the side and replied, "The vegetables include tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, eggplants, zucchini, green peppers, chives, and garlic sprouts, as well as two acres of watermelons, grapes, cantaloupes, and small honeydew melons..."

Chen Ling counted on her fingers, uttering one name after another.

These were actually seeds he bought, but he hadn't had time to plant them in the cave yet.

Qin Rong, unaware of the true situation, was utterly astonished upon hearing this. "Young man, how many acres of greenhouses do you have?"

"Also, with so many different kinds of fruits and vegetables planted, can your family manage to keep up with all of them?"

Hearing Chen Ling's answer, Liang Hongyu, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but want to laugh.

She thought Chen Ling didn't want to tell the truth and was deliberately making things up.

But looking at Chen Ling's serious and earnest expression, it didn't seem like he was talking nonsense.

He then asked, "Did you really plant all of these things?"

"OK!"

Chen Ling nodded, and started making up lies: "My greenhouse isn't very big, it was just built, and I don't know what to plant."

"Later I heard people say that it's always good to plant off-season fruits and vegetables in winter, so I just planted a little of each. Actually, this is my first year planting, so I'm just messing around and trying to see which ones sell well so I can plant those next year."

"We'll cross the river by feeling for the stones..."

The Liang Hongyu couple looked enlightened upon hearing this.

For some reason, he became even more interested in Chen Ling and took the initiative to ask:

"Young man, where are you from? What's your name?"

"I'm from Fenglei Town, and my home is in Baiyungou. My name is Chen Fugui."

"Uncle and Aunt, you can just call me Fugui."

Chen Ling chuckled. Since he had decided to fool everyone, he might as well go all the way.

So he chose the place furthest from the county town as his answer.

Otherwise, if we talk about something nearby, greenhouses are a novelty that people in the surrounding villages and towns can't help but ask around.

"Oh? You're from Fenglei Town?"

Unexpectedly, Liang Hongyu was pleasantly surprised to hear this. "When I was young, I worked in the countryside in Fenglei Town and I know Fenglei Town very well. I also know many people in your Baiyungou Village, but your village is too far away, so I have never been there many times."

"So you were sent to the countryside in Fenglei Town? In that sense, we're practically from the same hometown."

Chen Ling also cooperated by showing a surprised expression.

He was speechless: What a coincidence! I deliberately chose to talk about something far away, but it turns out this aunt had actually worked in the countryside in Fenglei Town.

How am I supposed to make this up?
"you do not say!"

"That's what you call fate. Look, we've met twice in just one day..."

Qin Rongxian said with a smile.

But a look of reminiscence appeared in his eyes.

“Fugui, tell me quickly about the changes in Fenglei Town over the years. What happened to the old ancestral hall? Is the Niangniang Temple on the mountain still there…”

Upon meeting her fellow villager, Liang Hongyu was overjoyed and immediately began to chat.

She hurriedly pulled his sleeve to make him sit down and explained the changes in Fenglei Town.

Helpless, Chen Ling had no choice but to rely on the body's memories of Fenglei Town and recount the major changes.

He knew absolutely nothing about the specific details.

Even so, Liang Hongyu was very excited when she heard this and tightly grasped Qin Rongxian's hand.

My eyes were filled with tears, as if I had returned to that turbulent era.

"One foot treads across three provinces, and the rooster's crow can be heard in three border regions."

"Fenglei Town, Fenglei Town, how many times have I dreamt of going back to see it in the dead of night?"

"I wonder how many of those people from back then are still alive?"

"Rongxian..."

As she spoke, her eyes, brimming with tears, looked at Qin Rongxian.

“I understand. Once things are settled here, I’ll go back with you to visit.”

Qin Rong nodded first, then sighed with deep emotion.

Chen Ling, standing to the side, felt something was off.

What's going on with this elderly couple? Can a relationship where the woman is stronger than the man really reach this point?
Qin Rongxian is showing far too much respect to this Aunt Liang Hongyu.

He's clearly the husband, but he acts like a male secretary, constantly addressing his wife as "you" or "sister."
"Fugui, thank you for telling me so much."

"When my husband and I return to Fenglei Town in a while, we will bring you a gift."

At this moment, Liang Hongyu wiped away her tears and said to Chen Ling.

"Okay, I'll definitely treat Uncle and Aunt well then."

Chen Ling smiled and agreed.

I was thinking that you'd have to be able to find me by then. However, Qin Rongxian and his wife obviously didn't know what Chen Ling was thinking. After hearing this, they both laughed and chatted with Chen Ling about everyday things without losing interest.

After a while, the buoy in the river suddenly sank and disappeared.

Qin Rong instinctively raised the fishing rod and pulled it back. Something below the water had taken the bait with great force. As it was pulled, ripples spread across the river, making the water murky.

Qin Rong quickly braced himself against a large tree by the river, causing his fishing rod to bend into an exaggerated arc.

This means a big one has taken the bait.

Unfortunately, Qin Rong was getting on in years and had been living a life of luxury for many years, so she seemed to be struggling a bit.

"Let me do it, Uncle."

Chen Ling walked over and took the fishing rod.

"Wait a minute, it should be a big fish, very strong."

Qin Rong breathed a sigh of relief and then reminded him.

Chen Ling nodded, feeling the force transmitted from the fishing rod, as if the fishing line had hooked onto a rock, heavy and sturdy, and he immediately knew what was going on.

He then controlled the fishing rod, slowly reeling it in, not trying to play it like a big fish, but simply slowly pulling in the fishing line.

After a while, the force in the river lessened.

A dark blue-green turtle reluctantly revealed its simple and foolish form.

"Oh, it's a turtle!"

Liang Hongyu exclaimed in surprise and hurriedly brought over the bucket.

"Wow, this thing is huge!"

Qin Rongxian stared wide-eyed, surprised.

No wonder it's so heavy; this turtle is almost the size of a frying pan.

After Chen Ling pulled him to the shore, he weighed him in his hand and estimated that he weighed about eight or nine pounds.

It is indeed considered a large size among wild turtles.

"It's in early spring, when the weather is just starting to warm up and there's not much food in the water, that you can still catch a few of these."

"Once the weather gets warm, these things become slippery and become very difficult to catch."

Chen Ling threw the turtle into the bucket and said while washing his hands.

Qin Rong nodded first: "Indeed, we've only just recovered from winter, there are few fish and shrimp in the river, and not much to eat, so it's easy to catch them."

"I guess it's because it was warm this afternoon."

At this moment, Liang Hongyu said, "Fugui, when you go back, take this old turtle with you."

"Huh? You want me to take it back?"

"That won't do. You and Uncle Qin fished all afternoon and only caught this old turtle. How can you let me take it back?"

"Look at this mess."

Chen Ling was stunned for a moment, then waved his hands repeatedly.

"What's this?"

“Your uncle and I won’t know how to clean it if we go back. Rather than giving it to an outsider, we might as well just give it to you.”

"We're practically from the same hometown, so just take it back with you. There's no need to be so polite with us."

"It's so unfamiliar."

Liang Hongyu gave a reproachful look and picked up the bucket to help him put it on the donkey cart.

As soon as he picked it up, he put it down again: "It's so heavy, it must weigh almost ten pounds."

"You're rich now, you can't take it with you even if you don't want to."

"Your uncle and I are old and frail; carrying this thing home would probably kill us."

Qin Rongxian echoed this sentiment from the side.

What could Chen Ling say? He could only reluctantly agree.

The three then chatted and laughed for a while.

Seeing that it was getting late and it was time to go back, Chen Ling said goodbye.

"Yes, it's getting late."

"Then you should go back quickly. Baiyungou is not close to the county town. It will be dark by the time you get home by yourself. Be careful on the way."

Qin Rongxian and his wife didn't say anything else, they just gave some instructions.

"it is good."

"Oh, by the way, everyone says these peanuts taste good."

"Uncle and Aunt, you can take them back and cook them. Fresh peanuts taste better when boiled."

Chen Ling responded and took a bag of peanuts from beside the donkey cart, handing it to the two of them.

Then he drove away in a donkey cart.

(End of this chapter)